Emirati ‘Hope’ mission nears orbit of red planet

Emirati ‘Hope’ mission nears orbit of red planet

DUBAI – The first Arab interplanetary mission is expected to reach Mars' orbit Tuesday on the most critical stage of its journey to unravel the secrets of weather on the Red Planet.

The unmanned probe — named “Al-Amal,” Arabic for “Hope” — blasted off from Japan last year, the latest step in the UAE's ambitious space programme.

Here are some facts and figures about the oil-rich nation's project, which draws inspiration from the Middle East's golden age of cultural and scientific achievements.

The United Arab Emirates, made up of seven members including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has 12 satellites in orbit, with plans to launch several more in coming years.

In September 2019, it sent the first Emirati into space, Hazza al-Mansouri, who was part of a three-member crew. They blasted off from Kazakhstan, returning home after an eight-day mission in which he became the first Arab to visit the International Space Station.

But the UAE's ambitions go much further, with a goal of building a human settlement on Mars by 2117.

In the meantime, it plans to create a white-domed “Science City” in the deserts outside Dubai to simulate Martian conditions and develop the technology needed to colonise the planet.

The UAE has plans to launch